Ad Reveals Social Pressure on Women in China to Conform

By Alexandra Jardine.Published on Jan 17, 2017

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Dove Hair is encouraging Chinese women to express their individuality through their hairstyle in a new campaign.

The ad, by Ogilvy & Mather Shanghai, sees different women revealing the social pressures on them to conform to a certain look. One woman explains that her family tells her she'll never find a boyfriend with "crazy" colored hair; another says how people assume her short hair means she must be gay; a woman with permed hair says she's been accused of being too "outlandish" for a Chinese woman, while an older woman says people ask her why she pays so much attention to her hair at her age. The tagline of the camapign is "My hair, it has to be my way."

"Though long black straight hair is widely seen as the universal symbol of Asian beauty, more and more Chinese women in recent years are daring to do something a little different. However, when talking to female consumers, we found many are still anxious about getting an unusual hairstyle because of pressures from society and their families," said Bérengère Loubatier, brand director at Dove Hair China, in a statement. "As a leading haircare brand, Dove's mission is to challenge this stereotype and help women in China enjoy the respect and freedom they deserve. Dove is a brand that believes in Real Beauty by Real Women."